Chusetts



March 18 192 1,487,074

Filed Feb. 25 1919 3 Sheets-Sheet 1.

March 18 1924. 1,487,074

J. NORTHROP THREAD PARTING MECHALHSM FOR WEFT REPLENISHING LOOMS Filed Feb. 25 1919 s Shets-Sheet 2 March 18 1924.

J. NORTHROP THREAD PA RTING MECHANISM FOR-WEFT REPLENISHING LOOMS Filed Feb. 25 1919 3 Sheets-Sheet 5 Patented Mar. 18, 1924.

UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

JONAS NORTHEOP, OF HOPEDALE, Iv'EASSACEUSETTS, ASSIGNOR TO IIOPEDALE MANU- FACTURING COMPANY, OF MILFORD, MASSACHUSETTS; A. CORPORATION OF MASSA- CHUSETTS.

THREAD-PARTING MECHANISM FOR WEFT REILENISHING LOOMS.

Application filed February 25, 1919.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that 1, Jonas Nonrrrnor, a citizen of the United States. residing at I-Iopedale, in the county of Worcester and State of Massachusetts, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Thread-Parting Mechanism for Weft-Replenishing Looms; and I do hereby declare the following to be afull, clear, and exact description of the invention, such as will enable others skilled in the art to which it appertains to make and use the same.

The present invention relates to an improvement in thread parting mechanism for weft replenishing looms. The object of the invention is to produce an improved thread parting mechanism for looms operating when the filling on the bobbin or filling carrier has been exhausted to a predetermined extent and the bobbin is about to be ejected from the shuttle, to sever it near the shuttle and afterward close to the selvage. The parting devices forming the subject of this invention, are mounted on the shuttle feeler and operated by connections with the weft replenishing mechanism and while of such construction and arrangement as to be adapted for embodiment in new looms, are particularly adapted for application to old looms, and to these ends the invention consists of the mechanism hereinafter described and claimed.

In the accompanying drawings illustrating the preferred embodiment of the invention, Figure l is a side elevation of the hopper and associated parts of the weft re- .ilenishing loom showing the application of the thread parting mechanism thereto; Figs. 2 and 3 are enlarged elevations and bottom plans respectively of the cutter mechanism mounted on the lower end of the shuttle feeler; Fig. 4 is side elevation similar to Fig. 1 showing the parts in position when replenishment has been indicated; F 5 is a plan of the same; Fig. 6 is a nil showi portion of the cutter opening 111"11181 Fig. 7 is a side elevation similar to Fr 1 illuetmting the parts in the position "'1 p hey assume when cutting has just been completed; Fig. 8 is a plan showing the reiation of the cutting devices to the shu dtle cloth and temple; and F 9 is a perspective view of a slot block hereinafter referred to.

In the illustrated embodiment of the in Serial No. 279,096.

vention, the improved thread parting mechanism is shown as mounted upon a feelercontrolled weft replenishing loom. The parts of the weft replenishing mechanism necessary for the operation of the thread parting mechanism consist of a hopper 10 mounted upon the bracket 11 secured to the breast beam 12; the hopper arm 13 is mounted upon a rock shaft 14 which extends along the front side of the loom and is connected at the other end with the filling feeler mechanism. Mounted upon the trans ferrer stud 15 is an arm 16 connected by means of the link 17 with the shuttle feeler 18 which is mounted upon a stud 19 secured to thehopper plate 10. The shuttle feeler- 18 operates in the usual well known manner. When a fresh supply of filling is to be inserted in the shuttle the hopper arm .13 moves from the position shown in Fig. 1 to the position shown in Fig. 4. drawing with it the arm 16 to which it is connected by means of the spring 20, and thereupon the shuttle feeler is swung rearwardly or toward the left, as shown in Fig. l.

The thread parting mechanism is mounted upon the shuttle feeler and when a change of filling has been indicated and the lay 22 moves forward with the shuttle 23 correctly boxed, the thread parting means is actuated to sever and hold-the old filling extending from the selvage to the shuttle.

The thread parting means comprises a movable knife and associated parts for supporting it in position on the shuttle feeler, means for opening the knife when replenishment is indicated, also mounted on the feeler and actuated from the hopper arm, and parter actuating device mounted on the lay adapted to cause the knife to sever and hold the thread.

The parting and holding means and the actuating devices therefor are described as follows z-- The lower end 30 of the shuttle feeler 18 can the knife 31 pivoted on the pin The belt passes through the slot 73 in the knife 31, whereby the knife is free to be swung on its pivot The knife has a cutting edge at wnich cooperates with steel cutting plate 3 1 received in a recess in. the side of the lower end 30 of the shut-- tle feeler. The knife and cutting plate co oxerat'e in scissors fashion. When the cutting plate becomes worn it may be turned end for end. On the opposite side of the knife 31 from the feeler end is a knife holding plate 35 which is also supported on the bolt 32. This knife holding plate 35 is provided with two pins 36 and 37 which project laterally from it and enter two holes in the cover plate 38. A washer -10 on the bolt 32 engages the side of the holding plate 35 and is pressed against such plate by a spring washer 41 also mounted on the bolt 32 between the washer 10 and the cover plate 38. This washer is cut away at 42. A spring 43 is mounted on the post 36. it has one end 1-4 which engages a notch in the cover plate 38, and another end which extends downwardly alongside of the knife holding plate 35, and thence rearwardly and upwardly and is bent back upon itself as shown in Fig. 2. The flexible thread guide 43 serves to guide the thread to the parting means and also to cushion the impact of the shuttle feeler against either the shuttle or the shuttle box, and yields upwardly upon contact therewith, to permit the shuttle feeler to properly perform its shuttle feeling function. The position of the pin 36 and the sides of the washer l0 are such that the cut-away portion 42 of the washer leaves room between the edge of the washer and the pin 36. ll. will thus be seen that the knife is yieldingly held between the side of the feeler arm and the knife holding plate 35 by the resilient pressure of the spring washer ll, and that while the knife may be moved easily under such pressure the latter is sufficient to hold the knife in a y given-position to which it may be moved. The upper end of the knife 31 carries a striker block which is rigidly secured to the knife. From the side of the block there projects the pin 51 which is adapted to be engaged by the knife opening devices hereinafter referred to. The block 50 is adapted to be struck by the knife act-nah ing'tanpet adjustably mounted by means of a screw 53 and slot 55 on the shuttle box top 54.

The knife opening device consists of the arm pivotally mounted at 61 on a projection 62 from the side of the shuttle frcler arm 18. Pivotally mounted on the lower end of the lever 60 is the by-pass pawl 68 held by the spring 64: to the position shown in Fig. 1. The by-pass pawl 63 has a laterally extended tail 65 which engages the side of the arm 60, as shown in Fig. 6. The pivot for the arm 60 consists of a right angle portion 66 of the arm 67 which arm 67 passes through a hole in the projection 62 and has the arm 60 rigidly secured to it by means of two set screws 69 and 70. The upper end of the arm 67 is bent around to form an opening for the link 71 which connects it with. the hopper arm 13, the forward end of the link being bent at right angles to the shank thereof, passing through a slot 75 in the head-piece 76 secured on the upper end of the hopper arm. When the hopper arm is moved to the right from the position shown in Fig. 1 to the position shown in Fig. l, the end of the slot 75 engages the bent end of the link 71 and pulls upon the link, thereby turning the arm 60 and moving the bypass pawl 68 toward the pin 51 on the knife block. The pawl thereby moves the knife in the direction to open it to the position shown in Figs. 2 and l, and passes over the pin 51. At the same time the shuttle fceler is rocked through the medium of the link 17 and turned upon its pivot from the position shown in Fig. 1 to the position shown in Fig. 4. Then, as the lay beats up the yarn extending from the selvage, the filling enters the open mouth of the knife and at the extremity of the beat the tappet 52 strikes the knife block 50 and actuates the latter to cause it to cut the yarn. As the yarn is out the end ex tending to the selvage is gripped between the side of the knife and the knife holding plate so as thereby to hold the yarn extending from the cutter to the selvagc. On the back stroke of the hopper arm the knife opening arm is oscillated in the opposite direction but the by-pass pawl rides over the knife pin 51 without any effect upon the knife itself, leaving the knife standing closed in its initial position ready for a repetition of the ope *ations. The length of the slot 75 in the hopper arm cast ing 76 is regulated by means of the slotblock 80 which is shown in perspective in Fig. 9 and has a square projection which enters the slot 75 in which it is secured in adjust-ed position by means of a bolt 81. The position of the block regulates the timev of retraction of the knife opening device. It will thus be observed that the knife is positively opened by the knife opening device regardless of the exact position or movement of the shuttle feeler or of the tension of the actuating spring 20.

The shuttle feeler is mounted on the stud 19 so that it may slide longitudinally there of, the feeler being provided with an upwardly extending cam arm 90 which en gages a slot 91 in the bracket 92 supported on the hopper plate 10. V] hen the feeler is standing in its normal position, as shown in Fig. 1, the cam arm 90 occupies a posi tion at the rear end of the slot 91. When the shuttle feeler swings rearward into the position shown in Fig. 4 ready to engage a misplaced shuttle or to sever the thread from a correctly boxed shuttle, then the cam arm 90 occupies the. position shown in Fig. 5 the forward end of the slot 91.

The slot 91 is an angular slot, as shown in Fig. 5, and is designed so that the movement of the cam arm 90 from the position shown in F 5 to the other end of the slot 91, causes the shuttle feeler to move longitudinally on the stud 19 as it is oscillated thereon. The result of the combination of these two movements upon thethread parting nlechanism is to cause the latter to move in such a path that the filling thread held thereby is relieved from excessive tension when the thread parting mechanism moves from the full line to the dotted line position as shown in Fig. 8, and consequently danger of breakage is eliminated.

In this manner the filling thread is held outof the path of the lay so that this loose end may not be caught up and woven into the cloth, and furthermore this loose end of filling thread is retained in this position until the thread parter 56 connected with the loom temple severe the thread close beside the selvage. Upon the repetition of the cycle of movements as above described wherein the hopper arm moves from the position shown in Fig. 1 to that shown in. Fig. 4, the knife 31 opens, thus releasing the severed thread whereupon it drops out of the way, and accordingly the thread parting mechanism is placed in an operative position with the knife open, ready to receive and cut the filling thread from the next bobbin.

From the foregoing description of the preferred embodiment of my invention it will be observed that the movable thread parting device serves the double function of cutting the filling thread near the shuttle when replenishment is indicated and also of gripping the portion thereof which extends to the sclvage and holding the same during movement away from the shuttle and out of the range of the operation of the lay. The path of movement of the thread parting mechanism is such that additional tension on this portion of the thread is avoided. whereby all danger of breakage thereof is eliminated and furthermore in this manner the thread is conveniently presented to the cutting member 56 to be cut at a point near the selvage.

It is also to be observed that the present invention contemplates a construction wherein a shuttle feeler, thread parting, thread holding mechanism, and parter operating means are adapted to be assembled as a unit, and applied to a loom as such. It is obvious that such construction is of immense practical value both in assembling a loom, and in installing the devices on an assembled loom. In the former instance the various devices are coordinated to the end that when the unit is established in its proper place, each device will be properly related to and will operate in conjunction with the other devices of the unit, so that the amount of time consumed in regulating the operation there of will be a minimum. In the latter case, the

unit may be readily assembled by the manufacturer at his plant, shipped to the loom at another plant, and installed thereon by comparatively unskilled labor, and in this case also after the installation of the unit, the various devices will operate in a perfectly timed manner.

Having thus described my ivention what I claim is 1. A Weft replenishing loom having, in combination, a bobbin changing mechanism, a lay, a shuttle feeler having a thread parting mechanism mounted thereon provided with a cutting knife having provision to be opened to engage the filling thread by the bobbin changing mechanism when replenishment is indicated independently of movement of the shuttle feeler, an actuating device mounted on the lay for actuating the thread parting mechanism to cause the knife to sever and to hold the filling thread.

2. A thread parting mechanism having, in combination a shuttle feeler, a movable knife pivoted thereon, a cutting plate coopcrating with the knife, a knife holding plate, a spring washer cooperating with the holding plate to yieldingly hold the knife in any position to which it may be moved, a by pass pawl carried by the shut-tle feeler adapted to engage the knife upon movement of the shuttle feeler in one direction and to ride over the knife on the return movement to permit same to remain closed.

3. A weft replenishing loom having, in combination, a movable hopper arm, a shuttle feeler, a thread parting mechanism provided with a knife pivoted on the shuttle feeler means carried by the shuttle feeler and operatively connected with the hopper arm to open the knife to engage the thread when the hopper arm moves in one direction, a lay adaoted to engage the knife to close the same and sever the thread.

4:. A weft replenishing loom having, in combination, a movable hopper arm. a sh uttle feeler, a thread parting mechanism provided with a knife pivoted on the shuttle feeler and operatively connected with the hopper arm to open the knife to engage the thread wnen the hopper arin moves in one direction, and to have no effect upon move ment of the knife when the hopper arm moves in the other direction.

5. A weft replenishing loom having, in combination, a hopper arm, a shuttle feeler yieldingly connected with the hopper arm a thread parter comprising cutter bladed mounted on the shuttle feeler, and means for opening the blades independently of the movement of the shuttle feeler.

6. A weft replenishing loom having, in combination, a bobbin changing mechanism. a shuttle, a shuttle feeler. a cutting mechanism movable to and .rom the shuttle,

and provided with a knife operatively connected with the bobbin changing nieche. iisin,

and avenged to he opened thereby innependentlv of movement of the shuttle feeler, to sever the thread nee-.1 the shuttle when replenishment is indicated and to hold the portion thereof extending to the selvage during ino *enient thereof away from the shuttle.

i". A. Weft replenishing looin having, in eon'ioinetion, n shntt e, n hopper arm, a shuttle feeler, a cutting mechanism located near the selvage, e second cutting mechanism mounted upon the shuttle feeler for severing the thread near the shuttle, and em neetions Ween the second cutting mechanism and hopper fllil't by which the cutting ineehanisni i pre nirsd to cut the thread upon movement of the hopper arm, the operation of d cutting; mechanism being thereby renindependent of the i'ioveinents of the feeler. weft replenishing lOOJIl having, in combination, 2i inovnhle hopper :Hln, a thread parting mechanism provided with a mo able knife, means for opening the knife adjusts connected with the l'lopper arm to permit the timing thereof with relation to the movement of the hopper arm said knife opening means being operated independently of the shuttle feeler,

9. A \veft replenishing; looin having, in combination, n iveft replenishing ineehnnisi'n, ev inovnhle hopper zirin actuated thereby, a pivot, shuttle feeler oscillated about the pivot h the hopper nrin, means coopernting with the shuttle feelei' to move the seine longitudinally of the pivot as it oscillate thereon, a thread parting mechanism carried by the shuttle feeler and having a movable knife, nienns actuated by the hopper 211'111 to open the knife to engage the thread and L lay cooperating with the thread perting mechanism to close the knife and sever the thread.

10. A weft replenishing looln having, in conihiinition, weft replenishing mechanism including a hopper plate, e pivoted shuttle feeler, a thread cutter provided with a Inovnhle knife, a thread holder, and knife openng nienns actuated by the Weft replenishn' ents of the shuttle feeler, "the shuttle feelcr,

.ing mechanism independently of the move- 1 cutter, thread holder and knife openmeans being mounted on the hopper 1. A Weft renlenishing looni having, in eoihnnition, e hopper, shuttle fceler mounted thereon, a thr ed cutting: and holdii device on fried hy the shuttlefeeler, and

aizting; means, thread holding means, and a, 'ter operating; means being mounted on he feeler,

JONAS NORTHROF. 

